Let the Pieces Fall
by BleakRememberance
Summary: "He had felt two very unfamiliar emotions tonight. The first one was doubt. The second one was panic. Perhaps it was his turn to be Superman and Peter's time to be Lois Lane."  Last 20-25 mins of Season 2, Ep. 8- Company Man.  Just Neal's thoughts during.


**A/N: Hey guys! :D SO, this is my first time venturing into this particular fandom. I absolutely love the show and definitely am a "bromance" fan. Having said that . . . OMG! Last week's episode was . . . wow. *dies* Talk about the tension. Can't wait till next Tuesday . . . ^-^ Anyways, this is pretty much the last 20-25 minutes of the last episode, Company Man (Season 2, Ep. 8).**

**Not my first WC story, just the first I've posted. The other on is a super-duper random one and I'm having trouble finishing it. xD But soon. I promise. :)**

* * *

_**Let the Pieces Fall**_

Neal slowly turned around, disbelief at Mozzie's words written on his face. His eyes roamed around and noticed the pen tucked securely in Jessica's purse. His eyes narrowed in recognition.

"_I'll call you back." _He approached her and yanked the pen out of her purse_, "Why do you have this?"_

"_Um . . . I-I found it on your desk and I . . ."_

"_You were in Kent's office. What'd you do Jessica?"_

"_I wanted him to know how it feels to die the way that Joseph died."_

"_You poisoned him? How?"_

Neal's eyes widened in horror as Jessica answered, her voice shaky but determined as she told him about the now-poisoned *Armagnac in Kent's office.

"_Peter's in there with him!"_

Jessica watched in shock as Neal spun on his heels and ran back towards the building.

* * *

Neal cursed. Jessica said that she had poisoned Kent's drink and there was a good chance that Peter was up drinking it with him, celebrating the good report. He slid to a halt at the front desk.

"_I need to get to the top floor."_

"_Nobody gets to the top floor." _The security guard said with a professional air.

"_This is an emergency, sir!" _Neal said desperately, his eyes already searching for the elevators.

"_What's the emergency?"_

"_Please!"_

"_Alright," _the guard conceded as he walked towards the desk phone, "_I need to check with Mr. Kent and my supervisors . . ."_

"_Yes," _Neal murmured as he watched the security guard, "C_heck with Kent."_ As soon as the guard's back was turned, Neal bolted.

"_Hey! Stop!"_ The guard yelled as Neal quickly and neatly jumped the turnstile. He skidded to a stop at the row of elevators.

"_Call 911!" _He called back before he slipped into the elevator.

"_Come back here! I will call the police."_

"_Good." _Neal said as the doors slid shut on the face of the surprised security guard. "_And call the paramedics._

He took one glance at the elevator and patted his pockets for something to open the panel with. He remembered his tie clip and quickly removed it.

"_You need to exit the elevator now, sir!"_

"_Will you send me up to Kent's floor?"_

"_Hell, no!"_

"_Then I can't." _Neal replied as he unscrewed the button panel on the elevator wall. Once it was unscrewed, he wrenched the cover off and began rewiring the security pad. The right wire in the right place and the green words, 'Access Granted' flashed just above the keypad. He pushed the button to the 44th floor and waited.

* * *

He darted out of the elevator and was in front of Kent's office within seconds.

"_Peter!" _Neal called, as he yanked open the door to Kent's office. His heart stopped momentarily as he caught sight of his friend lying motionless on the floor. Neal's mind began to panic and overload, his mind suddenly picturing a world without Peter Burke. He dropped to his knees at his friend's side and searched for a sign of life. He almost gasped in relief as Peter's chest began to rise and fall.

"_Peter." _He whispered, almost silently.

He glanced at where Kent was sprawled on the couch. Not wasting any time, he dragged Peter as quickly as he could out into the hall. Peter's face was growing paler and his breathing shallower. Neal tried very hard not to fall apart. Peter needed him right now.

"_It's gonna be okay. Stay with me. Alright?" _He set Peter down gently against the wall before smacking the elevator button repeatedly. _"Hang in there buddy."_

"_Kent . . ."_ Peter groaned, his head lolling back and forth.

"_No! No Peter, we don't have time." _Neal plead, his voice slightly panicked.

"_Neal, you leave me . . ._," Peter gasped, his chest moving up and down rapidly.

"_You are _dying_ Peter!" _Neal shouted desperately, his eyes wild as what he said sunk in.

Peter's hand reached up and grasped his shoulder, _"Neal! Neal. We don't leave anybody behind."_

Neal wanted so badly to reason with Peter. There was no time. But as he searched his friend's face, he saw the determination there that was so familiar to him. He could not let Peter down.

He only paused a moment before adrenaline sent him running back to Kent's office, leaving Peter by the elevator.

* * *

Everything was a blur. The paramedics were rushing Peter and Kent out on stretchers when one of them shouted, _"His heart's stopping!"_

There were some shouted orders and not-so-quiet muttering before one of the paramedics shouted, _"Clear!" _Before injecting Peter in the chest with what he assumed was the antidote. He stared at his friend's face, not quite believing the situation they were in.

He's expression was one of shock, despair and utmost terror. What if they didn't give Peter the antidote in time? What if he was dying, _right now?_ Neal stared at his friend's pale face, his heart beating so fast that he could hear it thumping in his head. He couldn't lose someone else. He just stood there, heart pounding, head spinning, and terror eating at him like a deranged animal.

He thought of how he'd felt earlier, when he'd received that call from Mozzie. It felt like days ago but was merely hours ago, before this entire mess had started.

"_Are you sitting down?"_

"_What is it Moz?"_

"_Sitting or standing?"_

"_Standing."_

"_Then . . . you better hold on to something."_

He remembered that feeling of betrayal, from the one person he trusted the most. Maybe the only person he genuinely trusted now. He had defended Peter when Mozzie had told him about Diana having the music box. That messed had been cleared away and now another, more serious mess was in its place. Instead of getting spaghetti sauce everywhere, staining and ruining a few good things, there was now a chemical spill, life threatening and dangerous as hell.

He had felt two very unfamiliar emotions tonight. The first one was doubt. Maybe Peter wasn't the indestructible Superman Neal liked to believe he was sometimes. Maybe Peter was mortal just like the rest of the world. The second one was panic. It had snuck in and swirled around with his other wild emotions and forced him to a new level of desperate acts. After all, how else did he carry both Peter and Kent into the elevators? Perhaps it was his turn to be Superman and Peter's time to be Lois Lane.

* * *

"_You give me the facts; I'll give you the law." _Neal followed the stretchers out of the building and the sound of Peter's steady and determined voice as he talked to a very confused Kent on a stretcher beside him.

They wheeled a dumbstruck Kent away and Peter sighed, _"Thanks, Di."_

Dianna smiled and took back Peter's badge.

"_I'm not the only one who makes dumb decisions." _Neal joked as he walked up and leaned on Peter's cot.

Peter turned his head to look at his partner before raising his eyebrows at his ruffled appearance and responding, _"Saving Kent?"_

Neal shot Peter a warning look, _"You're taking this 'innocent until proven guilty' thing a little too far."_

Peter shook his head with a small smile at his partner's faint attempts to alleviate the tense atmosphere, _"Lives or dies, it's not my call."_

"_Whose is it?" _Neal asked.

"_You do what's right. Let the pieces fall where they fall."_

Neal watched as his partner was wheeled away, both bemused and rueful.

_"Do what's right." _He murmured after his friend, his thoughts confused and jumbled up and incomprehensible as a Pachinko machine.

_Let the pieces fall where they fall._

* * *

**A/N: Soooooo . . . totally random end****ing, I know. ^_^ That's sorta how I roll.**

*** Armagnac is the type of brandy that Kent offers Peter in the show. :) You can look it up on Google.**

**1. The italics in quotations are a part of the actual dialogue from the episode. And yes, I spent over an hour copying down the words while watching, re-winding and re-watching the episode. xD Not the most fun, but definitely gives you time to focus on the scene.**

**2. To all of my ****Up In the Air**** readers, not to worry! I was just sidetracked by this and should be back on track with my current NCIS story in no time! *salutes***

**~Remmy:)**


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